Apparatus for manufacture of expanded metal



June 6, 1933.

H. K. BAKER 1,912,681

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF EXPANDED METAL Filed Aug. 28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l if A J A TORNEYS.

June 6, 1933.

H; K. BAKER APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF EXPANDED METAL Filed Aug. 28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W A TORNEYS.

Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERBERT K. BAKER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO PENN METAL COMPANY, OF PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF EXPANDED METAL Application filed August 28, 1930. Serial No. 478,368.

This invention relates to the manufacture of expanded metal and is particularly concerned with a method of and an apparatus for the manufacture of what are now well known in the art as joint strips and cornerite.

Joint strips or strip lath is a product which is articularly useful in the manufacture of walls, ceilings or partitions in which plaster board or boards are employed. Such boards are secured to a supporting structure in an edge to edge relation. The joint strips, as the term implies, are placed over the cracks or adjacent edges of abutting plaster boards and their use in this manner materially increases the strength of parti-- tion and wall structures of this nature so that the plaster which is applied over the boards and joint strips will not split or crack at the meeting edges of the boards. This cracking has been a very troublesome element in the manufacture or building up of satisfactory plaster walls and the like on plaster board of various kinds as a base. In addition to eliminating this cracking, the use of joint strips eliminates the formation or appearance of shadows or other markings on the exterior plaster surface at the points at which the plaster boards meet or abut.

The use to which cornerite is adapted, in some respects, is similar to the use of joint strips. However, cornerite is adapted to be employed or applied at corners where walls, angled with respect to each other, meet, regardless of the type of base on which such walls are built.

Heretofore these two products have been made or manufactured b cutting expanded metallic lathing of any 0 the standard commercial widths into a series or plurality of strip-like pieces. In the case of cornerite, of course, the cut strips were suitably bent or grooved in order to fit and permit application to wall corners.

This method of cutting relatively wide sheets into narrow strips has a number of inherent disadvantages, particularly where strip lath is being produced. In the first place, obviously, the method of cutting wide sheets into narrow strips necessitates a multiplicity of operations and is, therefore, undesirable from the standpoint of efiiciency and speed of production.

In addition it should be noted that the cutting of sheets into strips results in the production of knife edges or slivers of metal pro ecting from the strips at the points at which they have been cut. Such cutting also leaves broken or incomplete meshes with the result that jagged or rough portions of strands protrude or stick out from the edges of the sheets. These conditions are highly undesirable in a product of this character in view of the fact that the rough knife edges or the strands of the broken meshes pro ect outwardly sometimes even thru the layer of plaster applied to the structure. Still further the irregularity and roughness of such products makes them difficult of application as well as dangerous for the workman to handle.

In order to eliminate the rough edges, it has been proposed to finish or machine the edges of the strips produced. Obviously such a procedure would result in still further multiplied operations which is undesirable as it increases the necessary handling, time, and consequentl cost of production. In addition, such nishing operations are commercially impracticable for the reason that the operations must necessarily be so carefully performed, in order to fit the product for use, that the time, trouble and expense involved are almost prohibitive.

The present invention has in view the elimination of all of the above noted difiiculties and, generally speaking, the production of greatly improved joint strips and cornerite, particularly with respect to the edges thereof, by the use of simple and convenient apparatus as well as a speedy and efficient method.

How the various objects and advantages noted above as well as others which will occur to those skilled in the art are obtained will be apparent from the following discussion of the method and apparatus in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a slitting and expanding mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention, certain portions thereof being broken away and shown in section and the material or work being operated on being illustrated somewhat diagrammatically for the sake of clarity;

Figure 2 is a top view of the apparatus appearing in Figure 1, a portion of the expanding mechanism being omitted in this figure in order to disclose parts lying therebeneath;

Figure 3 is a view in top plan of a slitting mechanism similar to that disclosed in Figure 2, but modified in order to adapt it to the production of cornerite;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially as indicated by the line 1-4; of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an end view of strip lath of one width as it is produced by and discharged from the apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 5a is a similar view of a narrower width;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but illustratin one width of cornerite as produced by the apparatus illustrated in Figure 3; and

Figure 6a is a similar View illustrating a narrower width cornerite.

Referring first to Figures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 5a, the reference character 7 indicates a work support or table on which blank sheets 8 are adapted to be fed to the slitting apparatus. At the sides of the table 7 are arranged a pair of adjustable guide members 9 the function of which will be considered more fully hereinafter. Adjustment of the guides 9 may be had by actuation of the bolts 10 which bear against the guides and which are supported by any suitable standards or uprights such as indicated at 11.

The slitting mechanism employed is of the rotary cutter type and in the embodiment of the apparatus illustrated in the drawings this slitting mechanismincludes a pair of shafts 12 and 18 on which are mounted a plurality of circular or annular slitting knives 14 and 15, respectively. The knives are provided with recesses or cut-out portions 16 and 17 in their cutting edges in order to produce connecting bridges in the ultimate mesh work of the metal. Recesses 16 and 17 are arranged alternately on opposite sides of the knives, i. e., in staggered relation circumferentially of each of the knives and the group of knives, mounted on each shaft 12 and 13, are laid up or stacked up in such manner as to bring the recesses thereof into alignment axially of the shafts.

At this point it should be noted that with the apparatus arranged to produce joint strips as shown particularly in Figure 2, a

slitting blade or ring having no recesses in one of its cutting edges is positioned at or near the center of the group of blades on each of the shafts 12 and 13. In Figure 2 this particular blade is indicated by the reference character 18 and from inspection thereof it will be seen that the cutting edge 19 thereof is unbroken or provided with no recesses. This unbroken cutting edge of the blade 18 cooperating with a similar edge on a complementary blade positioned in the set carried by the shaft 13 serves to cut thru or divide the blank sheets 8 fed to the apparatus and thus produce a pair of strips from a single blank.

As the blank sheets 8 are fed thru the slitting apparatus, therefore, the same are divided into a pair of strips and each strip is cut or slitted in order to provide the desired strands and connecting bridges which are then expanded in accordance with the method and apparatus treated of herebelow.

In general the expanding apparatus (see Figs. 1, 2 and 4) includes upper and lower cooperating die mechanisms 20 and 21. The lower mechanism 21 has a work supporting surface which is inclined upwardly and away from the plane in which the material passes thru the slitting cutters. In addition the die mechanism 21 is cut away, shouldered or stepped inwardly progressively from the feeding to the delivery end thereof, as indicated at 22 in Figures 1 and 2, the shoulders being arranged at each side of the die 21 in such manner as to produce a reduction in the width of the work supporting surface thereof in a direction from its feeding to its deliver end.

The die mechanism 20 has a work engaging surface configured similarly or in a manner corresponding to the mechanism 21. In this case, however, each step or shoulder 23 of the mechanism 20 overlies a pair of shoulders 22 and an expander finger or arm 24 is mounted and secured on each one of the steps or shoulders The arm or fingers 24 project downwardly at the sides of the mechanism 22 and overlie the steps or shoulders 22 in pairs as appears most clearly in Figure 1. In addition, each one of the members 24 provided with a working surface 25 of elongated configuration. the said working surface being somewhat curved and extending to each side of the planes in which the blank engaging surfaces of the die mechanisms extend. Described in more detail, each of the working surfaces 25 extends from a point somewhat above the path of travel of the strips thru the apparatus thru an arc tenninating below the path of travel, the upper end of the surface 25 being positioned toward the feeding end of the apparatus.

In operation this part of the mechanism functions as follows:

As noted above the blank sheets 8 which are fed into the slitting mechanism are discharged therefrom in the form of a pair of slitted strips. These strips are indicated by the reference numeral 26 in Figure 2 and are shown as being provided with uniformly or evenly arranged slits 27 which result in the strands 28 and the connecting bridges 29. The slitted strips are advanced or fed forwardly at least in part by the action of the slitting knives 14 and 15 and, at this point it should be noted that any suitable feeding mechanism may be provided in order to supplement or replace the advancing action of the slitting device. As the material passes thru the expanding die mechanisms. the members 24 engage the connecting bridges and displace or depress the same downwardly at the sides of the die 21 with the result that the connecting strands 28 are bent or angled in their own planes from the points of attachment thereof with the connecting bridges. This action, of course, progresses inwardly from the outside edges of each one of the strips 26 and is completed at the delivery end of the expander. The expansion of the mesh work, therefore, is carried out progressively from one edge of each strip to the other edge thereof.

At this point it should be noted that the relation of the members 24 to the shoulders 22 and the width of the strands produced by the slitting mechanism is such that the worknig surfaces 25 of the members 24 progressively engage alternate bridges 29 transversely of the slitted strips. This particular relation permits the use of the stationarily mounted expanding die mechanisms and thus eliminates complicated and troublesome mechanisms which have been employed heretofore for various types of metal mesh work expansion. In this connection attention is called to the fact that certain features of the method and apparatus of the present invention. in addition to being especially useful in the manufacture of strip lath and cornerite,

are also useful in connection with the production of other'expanded metal fabrics.

Referring again to the relation existing between the width of the strands and the various elements of the expanding mechanism. it is to be noted that the relations and the proportions of these various elements according to the present invention. are such as to permit the slitting and expansion of any one of a group or number of standard or predetermined width strips (see examples illustrated in Figs. 5 and 5a) without adjusting or altering any of the parts or members of the entire apparatus with the exception of the guides 9 at the feeding side of the slitting mechanism. In other words, merely by adjusting the space between the guide members 9 in order to center the blank sheets 8 with respect to the slitting mechanism, the entire apparatus is accommodated to blank sheets of various different widths and thus may be employed, at will, to produce pairs of 'olnt strips of various different widths. (lther guide means might be employed which would take sheets of different widths without adjustment. An important factor in producing this adaptability lies in the use of a slitting mechanism which will produce strands of a width which is a divisor of the width of any of the predetermined or standard size strips. The expanding mechanism, of course, is made complementary to the slitting mechanism or, in other words, is arranged and configured to progressively expand any of the predetermined sizes of slitted strips, commencing at one edge thereof and completing the operation at the other edge thereof.

The method and apparatus of the present invention, therefore, contemplates the manufacture of improved expanded strips suitable for covering joints between plaster board by forming blanks of a width suitable for expansion into the completed article with the result that the operations necessary to the production of this particular product are reduced to a minimum and numerous difiiculties heretofore encountered are completely eliminated. In this connection it is also to be noted that the rotary type of cutting and slitting mechanism employed does not produce rough or jagged edges at the sides of the joint strips. Therefore, at no point in the production of the joint strips according to the present method and apparatus are such rough edges roduced and none of the unsatisfactory finishing or smoothing operations need be relied upon to finish off the edges. The result is the commercial production of a product which is greatl improved over those heretofore produce particularly with respect to the smoothness of the edges thereof.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 3, 6 and 6a, it will be seen that in the production of cornerite the slitting mechanism is arranged to include strand and bridge forming slitters 14 throughout the entire width thereof. In other words the plain edged cutter or knife 18 (see Fig. 2) is omitted so that the blank sheets 30 (see Fig. 3) which are fed to the slitting apparatus are not cut or divided in the center. The expansion of the cornerite, however, is accomplished by the same die mechanism as that em )loyed in the production of joint strips. 11 this case, however, the expanded sections of strands 31 and connecting bridges 32 are joined together as at 33 (Fig. 6) at the apex of he V-shaped structure delivered from the expanding mechanism.

In conclusion attention is called to the fact that the present invention contemplates a method of and an apparatus for producing improved strip lath 0r cornerite with the maximum speed and efficiency and the minimum of handling. The expanding mechanism, furthermore, being angularly disposed with respect to the direction of feed thru the slittin apparatus as noted above, provides for horizontal feed to, as well as delivery from the entire mechanism, considered as a unit.

What I claim is 1. In apparatus for expanding a slitted blank, a pair of cooperating stationary dies adapted for continuous feed of the blanks therethrough, one of said dies being stepped inwardly at a side thereof in a direction rom its receivin to its delivering end and the other of sai dies having cooperating inward- 2' stepped members at the stepped SldGOf the rst.

2. In apparatus for expanding a slitted blank, a. pair of cooperating stationary dies adapted for continuous feed of the blanks therethrough, one of said dies being ste ped inwardly at aside thereof in a direction rom its receiving to its delivering end and the other of said dies having cooperatin inwardly stepped members at the steppe side of the first, each of said members overlying and cooperating with a plurality of steps of the said stepped side of the first die.

3. In apparatus for expandin a slitted blank, a pair of cooperating stationary dies adapted for continuous feed of the blanks therethrough, one of said dies having a blank engaging surface stepped inwardly at a side thereof in a direction from its receiving to its delivering end and the other of said dies having cooperatin inwardly stepped members at the stepped side ofthe first, each of said members belng provided with a working surface extending between points located at opposite sides of the plane of the said blank engaging surface.

4. In apparatus for expanding a slitted blank, a pair of cooperating stationary dies adapted for continuous feed of the blanks therethrough, one of said dies having a blank engaging surface stepped inwardly at a side thereof in a direction from its receiving to its delivering end and the other of said dies having cooperating inwardly stepped members at the ste ped side of the first, each of said members being provided with a curved working surface extending between points located at opposite sides of the plane of the said blank engaging surface.

5. Apparatus for expanding slitted blanks including a pair of cooperating stationary die mechanisms one of which has a blank engaging surface reduced in width toward its delivering end and the other of which has an opposed blank engaging surface and expanding. members projecting therefrom and extending at a side of the first die mechanism. 6. Apparatus for expanding slitted blanks including a pair of cooperating stationary die mechanisms one of which has a blank engaging surface reduced in width toward its delivering)end and the other of which has an opposed lank engaging surface, together with an expanding member at an edge of the opposed blank engrging surfaces, said member having a wor ing surface extending to each side of the planes of the said blank engagin surfaces.

7. pparatus for expanding slitted blanks including a pair of cooperating stationary die mechanisms one of which has a blank engaging surface reduced in width toward its deliverin end and the other of which has an oppose blank enga ing surface together with expanding mem rs at the edges of the opposed blank engagin surfaces, the workin surfaces of the mem ers at opposite edges being positioned progressively closer to each other toward the delivering end of the die mechanisms.

8. Apparatus for expanding slitted blanks including a pair of cooperating stationary die mechanisms one of WlllCh has a blank en aging surface stepped inwardly at the e ges thereof toward its delivering end and the other of which has cooperating and opposed means for engaging the blanks, to ether with expanding members at the edges 0 said blank engaging surface, said members havin working surfaces extending through the p ane of the said blank enga ing surface and being step ed inwardly a jacent to the first die npec anism toward the delivering end there- 0 9. Apparatus for making expanded metal including coo erating slitting rolls through which blank 5 eets are adapted to be fed in one plane and a pair of stationary complementary dies for expandin the sheets positioned to receive the slitted lanks in a plane angled with respect to the plane first mentioned and adapted to deliver the expanded blanks in the neral direction of feed through the slitting rolls.

10. Apparatus for making expanded metal including coo erating slitting rolls through which blank s eets are adapted to be fed in one plane and an expanding device including a pair of cooperating stationary die mechanisms one of which has a blank engaging surface reduced in width toward its delivering end and the other of which has an op ose blank engaging surface, to ether wit expanding members at the e ges of the opposed blank engaging surfaces, said device being positioned to receive the slitted blanks from the slitting rolls in a plane angled with respect to the plane first mentioned and being adapted to deliver the expanded blanks in the general direction of feed through the said slitting rolls.

11. Apparatus for making joint strips including cooperating slitting rolls adapted to receive and work on blank sheets, said rolls having means for cutting the sheets into a plurality of strips lengthwise of the feed and means for slitting the blank sheets to produce a plurality of strands and connecting bridges in each strip, together with means for expanding the slitted strips produced.

12; Apparatus for making joint strips including cooperating slitting rolls adapted to receive and work on blank sheets, said rolls having means for cutting the sheets into a plurality of strips lengthwise of the feed and means for slitting the blank sheets to produce a plurality of strands and connecting bridges in each strip, together with means for expanding the slitted strips produced, said rolls serving, at least in part, to feed the slitted strips through the expanding means.

13. Apparatus for making expanded metal including cooperating slitting rolls through which blank sheets are adapted to be fed in one plane and a stationary expanding die mechanism positioned to receive the slitted blanks in a plane angled with respect to the plane first mentioned and adapted to deliver the expanded blanks in the general direction of feed through the slitting rolls, said slitting rolls serving, at least in part, to feed the blanks through the expanding die mechanism.

14. Apparatus adapted to the manufacture of expanded strips of different standard or predetermined widths including means for producing a plurality of strands of uniform width throughout the entire width of the widest predetermined strip, said means being configured and arranged to produce strands whose width is a divisor of any of the said predetermined strip widths.

15'. In apparatus for making expanded metal, means for simultaneously advancing and slitting a blank sheet, said means being constructed to operate substantially uniformly thereupon over the full width from each side of the center line thereof, and means for expanding the slitted sheets areas symmetrically on each side of said center line regardless of the width of the sheet, whereby different sheets of various widths may be slit and expanded with a given size of slitter and expander means.

16. In apparatus for making expanded metal, means for simultaneously advancing and slitting a blank sheet, said means being constructed to operate substantially uniformly thereupon over the full Width from each side of the center line thereof, and means for expanding the slitted sheet areas symmetrically on each side of said center line regardless of the width of the sheet, whereby different sheets of various widths may be slit and expanded with a given size of slitter and expander means, together with means associated with at least one of the first two mentioned means for cutting the sheet along its center line.

17. In apparatus for making expanded metal, means for simultaneously advancing and slitting a blank sheet, said meansbeing constructed to operate substantially uniformly thereupon over the full widt from each side of the center line thereof, and means for expanding the slitted sheet areas symmetrically on each side of said center line regardless of the width of the sheet, whereby different sheets of various widths may be slit and expanded with a given size of slitter and expander means, together with means associated with at least one of the first two mentioned means for cutting the sheet along its center line and means adapted to feed blank sheets centrally of the apparatus regardless of the width of the sheets.

18. Apparatus adapted to the manufacture of expanded strips of different standard or predetermined widths including means for producing a plurality of strands of uniform width throughout the entire width of the widest predetermined strip, said means being configured and arranged to produce strands whose width is a divisor of any of the said predetermined strip widths, and guide means adustable to accommodate or center strips of different standard or predetermined widths.

'19. In apparatus for making expanded metal, means for simultaneously advancing and cutting a blank sheet into a plurality of relatively narrow strips, means for slitting the strips to produce strands and connecting bridges therein as they are advanced, said slitting means being constructed and arranged to operate substantially over the full width of each strip substantially uniformly between the side edges thereof, and means for simultaneously expanding the several slitted strips regardless of the width of the blank sheet, whereby different sheets of various widths may be slit and expanded with a given size of slitter and expander means.

20. In apparatus for making expanded metal, means for simultaneously advancing and cutting a blank sheet into a plurality of relatively narrow strips, means for slitting the strips to produce strands and connecting bridges therein as they-are advanced, said slitting means being constructed and arranged to operate substantially over the full width of each strip substantially uniformly between the side edges thereof, means for simultaneously expanding the several slitted strips regardless of the width of the blank sheet, and guide means in advance of said slitting means adjustable to accommodate or center blank sheets of various widths, whereby to facilitate slitting and expansion of blank sheets of various widths with a given size of slitter and expander means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

HERBERT K. BAKER. 

